SUNDERLAND midfielder Lorik Cana is adamant Steve Bruce’s side must get the chastening home defeat by Chelsea on Tuesday out of their system in time for their clash with Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

Cana thinks Sunderland needs to forget about their defeat by Chelsea before their next match []

Sunderland took the lead against Carlo Ancelotti’s team but were then brushed aside as Chelsea scored three times without reply.

But Cana believes they must quickly erase the memory of their home loss and bounce back in front of their own fans against Rovers.

After a win on the opening day of the season at Bolton, optimism was soaring on Wearside, but Cana says they have to build on the victory at the Reebok , rather than dwell on the defeat to one of Europe’s finest sides.

“The two games have been totally different as they have been against totally different styles of football,” said Cana.

“The Bolton game was difficult, but it was a typical British game. It was certainly what I was expecting when I came over from France.

“The Chelsea match was completely different because you are talking about one of the best teams in Europe, maybe the world. I was very impressed by the way Chelsea played.

“We matched Chelsea for most of the first half, but we spent a lot of our energy in that time and we weren’t really able to stay with them in the second half. We played well for an hour but, after it went to 1-1, it became very difficult.

“There are both good things and bad things we can take from the game. There are things we can improve on in the future, but we have to remember that small things against very good teams can sometimes look bigger than they are.

“We still have confidence and, as long as we continue to give what we have, we will be OK. We have a lot of new players and we cannot expect to be 100 per cent from the start.”

Sunderland are hoping to complete defender John Mensah’s loan move in time for the match with Rovers.

Cana said: “He is a player I know well. I’ve played against him a number of times in the past and he has always impressed me . He is a very good player who plays in the best team in France, so that has to say something.

“He is a good player and he can really help us. He is tall, but he is also quick and strong.

“He has all of the qualities you need to be a successful defender in the Premier League.”